Improvement in fourneyron turbine wheels



N FEfERS, FHOTOMTHOGRAPHER WASH NGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT Enrica.

STEPHEN K. BALDWIN, OF GILFORD, NEV HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOURNEYRON TURBINE WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 16,110, dated November 25, 1856.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN K. BALDWIN, of Gilford, in the countyof Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented new and ,'.sefulIniprovements in the Fourneyron Turbine Tater-Wheel, so called; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this speciiication, and tothe letters of reference marked on the said drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, the portion to the right of the line d h being of the upper portion of the wheel and that to the left of said line being of the lower portion. Fig. 3 is a plan ot the wheel, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the line a b of Fig. 3.

The nature of my invention consists in the extending of the inner ends of the buckets or padd1e-boards of the above named waterwheel farther inward toward the center of the wheel either on radial lines or on lines varying either side of the center and thence upward and outward, so as to receive the propelling-water on the external end of the extended bucket.

To enable others skilled in the a-rt to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct my wheel as is represented in the accompanying drawings.

Similar letters refer to corresponding parts.

A is the shaft orbodyof the wheel, to which the buckets B B, tbc., are attached. At each end of the shaft are gudgeons C. The lower one ress on a step D. The upper one is secured by a bearing in the stand E.

F is a circular cover to prevent the water from pressing on the wheel.

G G are pillars to support the circles H and I, the water-guides J, and circle K, with the circular cover F and stand E. The flooring L rests upon the circle H and is also attached to the penstock-timbers M. The water-guides J direct the water upon the buckets B and are secured to the circles I and K. These circles are shown in section in Fig. 4.

N is a circular gate to regulate the low of water upon the wheel. It is elevated and lowered by the apparatus shown in Fig. l, as follows: O O are two blocks of wood or posts secured to the circular gate N at d. P P are racks secured upon the posts O O, in which play the teeth of the pinions Q Q, attached to the shaft R, and are made to revolve and raise or lower the gate N by turning the winch S. rlhe penstock which surrounds the wheel is made of timber and plank in the usual form, and has an opening in any part to conduct the water into it, so that it may iiow around the wheel.

I construct that portion of my wheel represented in Fig. 2 upon the left-hand portion, and shown in Fig. 4 by red lines, in that form ofthe Fourneyron turbine as is there shown, and from the line T in Figs. 2 and 4I extend the bucket B inward, upward, and outward in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4, and the radial lines, Fig. 2, so as to receive the propelling-water on the external ends of the eX- tended bucket B at U through the orifices V made by the waterguides J J, &c.

The operation of my wheel is as follows: The water being let into the penstock around the wheel and the circular gate N being raised by turning the winch S, the water takes its course through the orifices V V, cbc., conducted by the water-guides J J, die., and impinges against the buckets B B, dto., at U U, and thence passes downward in the reverse direction of the arrows, the momentum of the water causing it to press hard against the bucket until it reaches the Fourneyron turbine part, when it impinges against that with the momentum acquired in its descent and the pressure of the headwater following and is discharged at t-he oriices at XV. In order that the wheel should act to the best advantage, itis advisable to submerge that portion of the wheel below the iiooring L in backwater. Then as the water is discharged from the orifices at W' it has a better object to react against than if discharged into the open air. Shaitin g and gearing or a drum and belting may be attached to the top of the wheel,

Yby which power may be transmitted to machinery.

By my improvements, first, I can use a larger quantity of water to advantage on a smallwheel than can be used on a Fourneyron turbine of the same size, as the orifices which conduct the water to the wheel are at its periphery, and of course the greater circumference oi' the Wheel allows of the use of more orifices or of greater area to each orice than if they Were upon the inside. rlhe Wheel therefore becomes more economical in point of size as Well as making a saving in machinery for getting up speed necessarily employed in a larger Wheel.

Second. Myimproved wheel Works to as goed or better advantage when under a certain qua-n-v tity-of backwater (say enough to cover the Wheel) than if the water were disch arged into the open air.

Third. The average percentage ot' the best 'Fourueyronturbines,asbuiltat LoWell,MaSsa chusetts, for the gate raised one inch, onefourth, one-half, and three-fourths of full height, and full heightis .583i por centtof the power expended. I find by experiments upon my improved Wheel with the same heights of gate that I geti? per cent. for the average ofthe power expended, showing a much better average of useful effect under varyinibr heights of the gate.

Fourth. rater-Wheels built after the Inanner of my improvement will answer for any head of Water Without a particular calculation, and will give as good a percent-age of useful effect to the power expended. The

contrary is the ease with the Fourneyron turbine.

Fifth. it is plain that water-wheels built after the manner of my improvement are cheaper in the first instance and more easily kept and putin repair than the above-named Wheel.

I do not claim the Water-guides J J, dsc., or the circular gate N, or any particular method of applying the Water to the wheel, as there are various methods in which it may be done; but

What do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The extending of the bneketB of the Fourneyron turbine water-Wheel farther inward to- Ward the center of the Wheel, (either on the radial lines or on lines varyingeither side of the central point.) and thence upward and outward, so as to receive the direct action of the propelling-Water against the extended bucket on the outside of the Wheel and above the Fourneyron turbine part, as described in the foregoing specification.

STEPHEN' K. BALDWIN. Witnesses:

NATH. EDGERLY. NATHAN H. BALDWIN. 

